But the aide and a second source affiliated with the party — both of whom were not authorized to speak on the drafting process — added that officials with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), the hardline pro-Israel interest group, had reviewed and approved the language prior to its finalization.“They loved it,” said the aide who worked on the platform.

But the question is whether in fact AIPAC actually reviewed and approved — let alone loved — the 2012 Democratic Platform.AIPAC says they didn’t.Instead, their version of the story is very different, namely that AIPAC Not Consulted on Final DNC Platform:

Officials from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) were not consulted on the final version of the Democratic National Committee’s controversial language regarding Israel and the peace process, a revelation that calls into question numerous reports that the pro-Israel juggernaut was pleased with the party’s platform, according to a source close the group.“AIPAC officials were not in the room when the platform was drafted,” the source told the Free Beacon Tuesday evening. “AIPAC was never provided with a full draft of the Middle East section of the platform.”…“Jerusalem as the capital is Israel was part of the AIPAC submission to the platform committee,” the AIPAC source said.

The source claiming AIPAC approved and “loved” the platform is — like Debbie Wasserman Schultz — sticking by their story.

(Commentary) After Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren disputed DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz’s claim that he called the GOP “dangerous” for Israel, the Florida congresswoman tried to dodge blame by insisting the Washington Examiner misquoted her. Unfortunately for DWS, the Washington Examiner’s Phil Klein just posted audio of her comment, and it matches up exactly with his original report.First, here’s Wasserman Schultz insisting that she was misquoted by Klein on Fox News earlier tonight:Now, listen to the audio of Wasserman Schultz at a DNC Jewish outreach event yesterday, saying exactly what Klein reported she said:

Could this possibly get any more embarrassing for the DNC? Wasserman Schultz not only misled Fox News, she also tried to baselessly smear a meticulous reporter, Phil Klein, who fortunately happened to record her statement on audio. Not only did DWS misrepresent the Israeli Ambassador’s comments, she also inaccurately claimed that Klein misquoted her. Why would any journalist — or, for that matter, any foreign diplomat — take her seriously again?

on the other hand… she does have a pretty good makeup job going for FOX NEWS. Someone did a great job with her hair. heh

(CARL) Debbie Wasserman Schultz told a training session of Jewish Democrats on Monday that Israel’s Ambassador to the United States, Michael Oren, has said that Republicans are dangerous to Israel because they criticize President Obama’s record. (Hat Tip: Memeorandum). In a statement issued by Israel’s embassy in Washington, Ambassador Oren categorically denies saying any such thing. In other words – at least according to Oren (and probably correctly) – the Chairlady of the Democratic party is a liar. This is from the first link.

The Florida congresswoman made the charge at a training session for Jewish Democrats held by the Obama campaign here at the Democratic National Convention, aimed at teaching Jewish Democrats how to convince their fellow Jews to vote for Obama.Much of the session, which featured a string of speakers from the Obama campaign, was devoted to defending Obama’s record on Israel. During her talk, Wasserman Schultz said that Republicans, who “can’t get anywhere with our community on domestic issues” instead “do everything they can to lie and distort and mischaracterize this president’s stellar record on Israel.”As she was wrapping up her remarks, she claimed that, “We know, and I’ve heard no less than Ambassador Michael Oren say this, that what the Republicans are doing is dangerous for Israel.”…Wasserman Schultz went on to elaborate that Republicans were “undermining Israel’s security by suggesting that the United States and Israel don’t have anything other than a unique and close and special relationship. It undermines Israel’s security to its neighbors in the Arab world and to its enemies. And we need to make sure that the fact that there has never been and will never be daylight between the two parties or the support for Israel that we have in the United States, that that is conveyed to Jewish Americans across this country. That’s our responsibility. It’s the responsibility we’re asking all of you to take on.”She made similar remarks in a recent interview with Hadassah magazine.It’s especially ironic for her to argue that Republican attacks were dangerous because they were creating a perception of “daylight” between the U.S. and Israel. Creating daylight was precisely the goal Obama adopted when he took office. As the Washington Post reported, a few months into his presidency, Obama told a group of Jewish leaders that the peace process didn’t advance during the prior administration because President Bush was too reflexively pro-Israel.

Oren denies the charge. This is from the second link.

The Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. has released a statement “categorically” denying Democratic National Committee chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz’s claim that he accused Republicans of being “dangerous for Israel.” The Washington Examiner earlier reported that at a Monday event here, Wasserman Schultz decried Republicans attacks on President Obama’s record on Israel, and insisted that, “We know, and I’ve heard no less than Ambassador Michael Oren say this, that what the Republicans are doing is dangerous for Israel.”But the Israeli embassy has now released a statement from Ambassador Michael Oren responding to the Examiner report. “I categorically deny that I ever characterized Republican policies as harmful to Israel,” the statement reads. “Bipartisan support is a paramount national interest for Israel, and we have great friends on both sides of the aisle.”

Gee, wasn’t it the Democrats who were complaining last year about Israel being made into a ‘wedge issue‘?

Broward-Pal Beach Times: Richard Rubin Sentenced to Ten Months in Federal PrisonRichard Rubin — husband of former Broward County Commissioner Diana Wasserman-Rubin, who still faces seven felony charges of her own — was sentenced this morning to ten months in federal prison.Rubin, 66, pleaded guilty in April to federal tax evasion after failing to report $100,000 in fees he received from the town of Davie for a land deal he brokered in 2004.With attorney David Bogenschutz at his side, Rubin managed to get only ten months up the river — which is in accordance with sentencing guidelines but much less than the maximum penalty of five years.Rubin had said in court that he and the wife faced financial burdens from damage done to their home by Hurricane Wilma and also owed on a loan he could not repay — which is why he attempted to cheat on his taxes a bit.That also wasn’t too long after Rubin took in $1.1 million for writinggrants for the town of Southwest Ranches — grants that were approved in part by the votes of his wife while she was a county commissioner.Then, the probable-cause affidavit released last year contended, the couple was living quite lavishly — including spending money on artwork, cruises, vacations to Europe, and a $150,000 home repair project.Rubin wasn’t charged with tax evasion until April of this year.The State Attorney’s Office, however, charged Wasserman-Rubin last year with seven counts of felony unlawful compensation related to her votes for her husband’s grant-writing.

I know you think I’m happy about this… I’m not. A Jew is still a Jew… I don’t care about their political affiliation. I do not wish to see bad things to old Jews… I don’t care who their daughter is. I make no apologies for hoping that this couple survives prison. There is tremendous Antisemitism in the penal system.

UPDATEII: The brouhaha continues. See below. UPDATE: What’s the deal with Ron Paul and the RJC? See below. When seven of the top Republican presidential candidates gather next week at a forum hosted by the Republican Jewish Coalition, they will “unequivocally put to bed the political smears” regarding aid to Israel that have been promulgated by the Democratic National Committee and Rep. Debbie Wasserman Shultz (D-Fla), according to RJC Executive Director Matt Brooks. In an interview earlier today, Brooks gave me a preview of what to expect at the RJC’s 2012 Republican Presidential Candidates Forum, which is scheduled to take place on Wednesday of next week at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center. The event will feature remarks and speeches by Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.), Herman Cain, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Amb. Jon Huntsman, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, former Gov. Mitt Romney and former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.). (Note that Texas Rep. Ron Paul, no good friend of Israel, will not be in the house.) Each of the candidates, Brooks said, will make an effort to “put to bed the political smears by the DNC and Debbie Wasserman Shultz that the leading Republicans want to cut aid to Israel.” The issue has become a point of concern among pro-Israel forces, most of whom were shocked when Perry declared during a debate earlier this month that foreign aid should “start at zero” for all countries — including Israel (Romney and Gingrich supported zeroing out all foreign aid, but Israel wasn’t specifically mentioned). Democrats, including the National Jewish Democratic Council, quickly seized on the comments, attempting to paint the Republican candidates as out of touch and potentially harmful to the Jewish state. Brooks stated that he is certain that each of the Republican candidates will assure the crowd that they would never abandon Israel – and that as commander in chief they would do all they can to bolster it. And it’s the perfect forum for the candidates to set the record straight on this topic, as the Reagan building will be jam packed with Jewish Republicans, communal leaders and pro-Israel stalwarts. The RJC has held its candidates forum in each presidential election cycle since 1988. This one, however, is particularly noteworthy as it comes just 30 days before the critical Iowa Caucus. Brooks anticipates that the candidates will use the podium to crystalize and explain their foreign policy views on a range of subjects, such as Iran. “You’ll see a lot of the candidates use this an opportunity to clearly articulate their vision for Israel and the challenges in the Middle East, as well as how they plan to lead the country forward out of these challenging economic times,” Brooks said. In addition, the RJC announced earlier this week that New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie will provide a keynote address in the afternoon. “You’ll hear an impassioned argument for why we need change,” said Brooks. UPDATE: After taking some heat across the interwebs and elsewhere, the RJC clarified its stance on Ron Paul earlier today. Paul was not invited to attend the RJC’s candidates forum because the organization – as it has stated numerous times in the past – “rejects his misguided and extreme views,” said Brooks. “He’s just so far outside of the mainstream of the Republican party and this organization,” Brooks said. Inviting Paul to attend would be “like inviting Barack Obama to speak.” Mystery solved. UPDATEII: As they’re known to do, Ron Paul backers have bombed this blog with comments (read: lunacy). If you want to get a picture of why the RJC is right to exclude Paul, just peruse through some of the bizarre rants in the comments section below. Many verge on being anti- Semitic, while most express overt hostility to the state of Israel.

The American public is ready to hear Israel’s case, and the liberal feminist progressive multicultural agenda is now officially on trial with the people’s opinion. Americans want their public figures to finally come forward with the facts and in the internet age it will be hard to obscure truths. A few years ago the media was claiming the death of the Republican party as we knew it… the cold truth was that in fact someone had dug a hole for a political parties grave, and it appears it will be the Left that will buried alive with it’s hypocrisy. I reckon it is going to be so painful for Obama and his crew that we are about to see an end of an era. Once upon a time the Democrats were the Dixiecrats who supported the south. They considered themselves the people’s party warts and all… corrupt, but at times supposedly necessary to protect the people from robber barons. This Democratic party no longer exists because people started talking. For decades people were afraid to criticize the ideology of “PEACE”. That era is over. It isn’t a matter of left or right, but rather it is a matter of honest reflection going down and the Democratic party will not like the monster they see staring back at them. It is doubtful that the GOP will change from being a Judeo-Christian party to being the party of Corporate Anarchy. It is more likely that the Democrats are going to have to reinvent themselves and find new causes.

(Caroline Glick)…In the face of Obama’s unprecedentedly harsh treatment of Israel, Cong. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the chairman of the Democratic National Committee used the opportunity of a joint meeting with Netanyahu for leaders of the National Democratic Jewish Council and the Republican Jewish Coalition to make the case for silence on her party’s weak support for Israel. Her statement reportedly made Netanyahu so uncomfortable that he asked, “Do you guys want me to leave the room and give you guys some privacy?”While requests to block debate on Israel were respected in the past, the current divide between Democrats and Republicans on Israel is so wide that avoidance of the issue no longer makes sense for Republicans. And so, days after the meeting with Netanyahu, RJC Executive Director Matt Brooks wrote a letter to Wasserman Schultz officially rejecting her request.As he put it, “The Jewish community has a right to be informed about people’s records and people should be answerable for the positions they take. This is the essence of democracy.”And indeed, both the RJC and the Emergency Committee for Israel, a conservative group formed ahead of the 2010 Congressional elections, made Obama’s hostility to Israel a major issue in the New York 9 race.Congressional Republicans have also stopped giving the Democrats a free ride for their tepid support for Israel. In the past Republicans avoided introducing major legislation on Israel without Democratic co-sponsors and willingly watered down their initiatives to attract Democratic support. This is no longer the case.In August Cong. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee introduced a bill that will end US financial support for the Palestinian Authority and steeply curtail US funding for the UN if the UN upgrades the PLO’s diplomatic mission. All 57 of the bill’s co-sponsors are Republicans.Cong. Joe Walsh introduced a resolution in September calling for Israel to annex Judea and Samaria. His resolution’s 40-odd co-sponsors are also all Republicans.(MORE PAIN)